Loose Lips
by pandorabox82
Summary: Penelope has long known that the best office gossip came from the most unlikely source - one Aaron Hotchner. He tells her things that no one else knows, and she keeps them to herself, knowing that some things are better left unsaid. Can her friendship with him lead to a happy ending for everyone at the BAU?


A soft rapping on her office door had her looking out to see who was standing there. "Hey, Hotch. Did you just get back from the case in Tulsa?"

He nodded as he stepped inside and closed the door. "We did."

"And how did it go?" she asked, eyeing him up and down.

"It went. We had a bit of drama in the group, though. Reid's girlfriend called to tell him that their relationship was over. He was quite inconsolable, and it really threw off the balance of the team. But do you want to know something really interesting?"

She nodded, knowing that he always had the best news to tell her, knowing that she could keep her lips closed. "Do tell."

"The real reason that he was so upset was that he wanted to be the one to break things off with her. He had told me that Maeve was getting too clingy for him, that he knew that wasn't really true love, despite what she had told him."

She nodded, sipping from her coffee mug. "And how's my sweet Jayje doing?"

He paused, blushing faintly, and she grinned, knowing that she had thrown him off balance. "Her and Will are working things out. Or at least, that's what she told me. I sort of spaced out after she said that Will had sent her a bouquet of peonies the other day. Those aren't even her favorite flowers, and she acted like it was the best thing to happen to her since sliced bread. Honestly, I wish he would treat her a little better."

"Like you would?" The question struck the right nerve and he nodded just a tiny bit before shaking his head vigorously.

"No, she's in love with Will, and I'm with Beth. For the moment. Did I tell you that she texted me the other day, calling me the wrong name? I didn't want to say anything, but, well, I don't think the long distance relationship is working all that well. Which is a shame, since Jack was really starting to like her."

"These things happen, though, hun." Reaching out, she rubbed his arm lightly. "Maybe it would be better to pronounce the relationship DOA."

He nodded a little. "Perhaps. Thanks for listening to me, Penelope. I'm glad that I have a good friend like you."

"Any time you need to let your hair down, you know where to come." She led him out and scanned the bullpen, looking for her sweet genius. Morgan was leaning against his desk and they were wrapped in an intense conversation. Shaking her head, she gazed over at Hotch's office and saw that his aloof, professional, mask was back in place, now that he had let go of the latest secret in his arsenal.

When he had first come to her with the latest gossip, she had hardly believed he was serious. That wasn't how she had ever pictured him being. Then he went on to tell her that he had used to tell all his gossip to Haley, even when they had split, since she knew the players on the board, but not well enough to run and tell on him. In that moment, she had found that he was lonely for a listening ear and she promised him then and there that she would always be there for him.

He looked up from his paperwork, giving her a tiny nod before bending back down and writing furiously. Smiling, she shook her head and climbed down the stairs, joining Derek and Reid. "Hey, Reid, how are things?"

He looked up at her, a frown marring his usually happy countenance. "Maeve called things off while we were out in Oklahoma. I don't know why she did it first, I was going to do it when we got home. She just wasn't what I pictured her to be. And I know that I wanted to go this route, to fall in love for someone's personality rather than their looks, but, I guess I don't know how to explain this without sounding shallow."

"You made a picture of her in your head and when you saw her for the first time, she didn't fit that picture, did she?"

He shook his head. "And I really thought we'd get somewhere, what with being put into mortal danger for her and all. This being in love business really sucks."

"Tell me about it, kid." Derek slung his arm around Penelope's waist, drawing her close. "And it will until you find that perfect girl who's willing to overlook all your flaws and trust issues and love you anyway."

Penelope bit her lip to keep from crying. They hadn't really made their relationship official to the team yet, and so that sweet acknowledgment of them made her heart sing. "Aw, thanks, Sugar. I love you, too." She rested her head on his chest, smiling at Erin as she stepped inside the bullpen, making a beeline for Rossi's office. She was surprised that they were still going strong all these months later, since Rossi had a notorious reputation for being the love 'em and leave 'em type.

"So, any idea how much longer that's going to last?" Reid asked, looking up at the now closed door. Penelope shrugged a little, wondering what bug had bitten him. "They're so happy together. It just isn't right."

There was something weirdly wistful to his tone and Penelope wondered what really was bothering the young doctor. "Why isn't it right, hun?"

"I don't know. She, she," he stammered, blushing deeply, "she deserves better." He said the last bit in a rush, not looking at either of them. "Come on, you can't tell me that he hasn't treated her shabbily recently. And she just sticks with him. I don't get it."

Morgan shrugged. "Some women like that treatment, kid. And sometimes, they feel like it's all they deserve. But if she's happy, shouldn't we just leave well enough alone?"

Reid didn't look at them, instead staring at the desktop. "I suppose. It still seems like a raw deal for her, though." Sighing, he pulled a thick file from the top of his stack. "I need to get to work on these, though, if I'm going to finish Morgan's work, too."

They all laughed a little, though Penelope was still preoccupied with Reid's reaction. She wondered if it had something to do with the common bond that Erin and he shared. She knew that they had spoken about their addictions with each other, shared things that no one else in the BAU knew. That was to be expected, though, as normally Reid and Erin were the most private of them all. And the hardest to read.

Sighing, she tugged on Derek's shirt lightly. "Come on up to my office, Sugar Bear. I need your hands to help me out."

"All right, all right," he said, a teasing tone in his voice. She shook her head before lightly patting Reid's shoulder. "Let me guess, you need an extra pair of hands to help you change out components to Persephone."

"Very good, I'm teaching you well." They turned and she led him up to her office. "I need your muscle to help me move things in there. Kevin was always so useless when it came to things like this, you know. Even if I did love him for a time."

"He lost a good thing, you know."

"We just couldn't make it work, even with that second go round. Now, I need you to crawl under the desk and pull out this computer system…"


End file.
